Lubricating and protecting means for spinning mechanisms



1,6 1, June 1927' s. F. MACFARLANE 3 973 LUBRICATING AND PROTECTING MEANS FOR SPINNING MECHANISMS Filed March 1926 w WW 5 3 g 10 555 5 Patented June 14, 1927.

GEdIRGE I. MACFARLANE, OF WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA.

LUBRICATING AND PROTECTING MEANS FOR SPINNING MECHANISMS.

Application filed March 17, 1926. Serial No. 95,279.

The present invention relates to improved lubricating and protecting means for spinning machines.

More particularly the invention relates to 5 improved lubricating and protecting means for travellers utilized in well known types of spinning machines, used in the production of twisted threads for the manufacture of cloth, fabrics, and the like.

In the present commonly used spinning machines for the twisting of silk and like thread, the threads to be twisted are guided from spools over rotating travellers, twisted into single strands and wound on bobbins. 1 These travellers rotate against metallic surface at high speed, and wear rapidly re-' quiring frequent replacements. In order to lubricate the travellers, as at present used,

it is the practice to apply lubricant approximately twice a day in a manner resulting in a considerable waste of lubricant and labor. The-common manner of application of lubricant is such that excess lubricant finds its way up on the thread guiding sections of the travellers, discoloring the thread In operation of silk spinning machines, kinks frequently form in the twisted threads and lay over on the surfaces to which the lubricant for the traveller has been provided as the bobbins stop, absorbing oil and further diseoloring the twisted thread. The present manner of applying the lubricant 1s ineflicient and only, a small percentage of the oil used reaches the traveller with the result that the life of the travellers with the prior arrangements is about three days. The discolorations caused by the oil are almost impossible to remove from the twisted threads, making the weaving of light shades of fabrics and cloth from threads spun by the prior machines, a difiicult and costly operation, as heavy losses occur due to the amount of goods which is damaged and which must be dyed dark in colors so that the streaks and stains will not be apparent. Accordingly, objects of my invention hereto provide novel protecting means for the thread and lubricating means for the traveller so that the threads are protected from discoloration. and a proper amount of lubricant is continuously applied to the' traveller. In practice the application of my invention to standard s inning machines has extended thelife of t e travellers from three days to six days or more without the necessity for renewing the oil supply. At

the same time, no excess lubricant is present and the traveller remains free of oil, while the surface of the oil ring is protected in such a way that it becomes impossible for kinks in the thread to lay over and to come into contact with the lubricant. improved device, it has become possible to spin pure white threads without discoloration due to lubricant. making the production of pure white and the light shades of high grade silks, and other cloths, readily possible, and as cheap in manufacture as the production of the darker colors of silk in which oil stains heretofore'produced.

Further objects of my invention are such as will appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment; thereof and as particularly pointed out by the terms of the appended claims.

As shown in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan of one form of my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view showing a method of applying the invention in practice.

As shown in the drawings, 1 represents the traverse bar of a well known type of spinning machines. Secured to the traverse bar 1 of machines of this type, are a plurality of ring holders 2 (Figure 2) provided with a central opening 3 surrounded by an upstanding annular flange 4:. The holder 2 is provided with the diametrically opposite securing projections 5 in which the securing slots 6 are formed. Extending through the securing slots 6 are the securing bolts '7 for holding the ring holder in position on the traverse bar. Formed integrally with ring holder 2 are the upstandim resilient oil ring supporting members 8 which are usually three in number and spa ed at 120 degrees around the outer edge of the supporting member 2. Yieldinrly held in position in suitable seats of the ring supporting members isa circular oil ring 9. The inner edge of the oil ring 9 is spaced from the inner surface of the upstanding flange 4 of the ring supporting member 2 when the parts arein assembled relation, providing an annular opening 10 between the flange 4 and the inner edge of the ring 9 through which the ends 11 of the traveler or thread guide wire 12 pass and are hooked under the edge of the oil ring 9. The parts \Vith my IOU , for rotation from the frame of the machine in assembled relation are secured to the traversing bar 1 of a spinnihg machine by means of the bolts 7'. Disposed beneath the central opening 3 of the ring supporting member 2 are the bobbin spindles and driving pulleys 13 which are suitably supported and are rotated at a high speed by the driving belt 14:. Bobbins 15 upon which the twisted thread is to be wound, are supported on the spindles and rotated by pulleys 13 at high speed. The threads 16 to be twisted and wound on the bobbins 15 are fed from suitably supported spools (not shown) and are passed downward over the rotatably supported rollers 17 through the wire loops 18 and are then passed around the corresponding traveller 12 to the bobbins 15 as indicated. As is well known, in operationof devices of this character, the rotation of the bobbin and the action of the threads 16 causes rotation of the traveller 12, about the annular space lO, twisting the threads into a single strand which is wound on the bobbins. As the rotation of the bobbins and the, winding. of the twisted thread proceeds, the

traverse bar 1 is reciprocated vertically causing the winding of the twisted thread on the bobbin in uniform. manner. The .construction and operation of parts so far described comprises a standard and well known spinning arrangement for spinning silk threads and will be well understood by those skilled in the art. It is now the common practice to apply oil on the upper surface of the oil ring 9 to lubricate the travellers,

' about twice a day and with oiling of the travtil ellers in this manner, the life of a traveller is about three days. As a result of the method of applying oil on the oil rings in common use, excess oil flnds its way over the ends of the traveller to the thread guiding section thereof and discolors thethread. Fur thermore, when the spindle on which the bobbin is supported stops, kinks formed in the twisted thread due to the movement of the traverse bar frequently lay over on the upper surfaces of the oil rings absorbing the oil and causing additional discoloration of the thread.

My improvement comprises an attac ment for the standard oil rings and supporting devices consisting of a metallic cap 19 that is sprung over oil ring supporting members 8, or the cap may be clamped or held in position in any othersuitable manner. The cap 19 is provided with an .in-

. clined frustro-conical shaped protecting surface 20 which, whenthe cap is in position, covers the oil ring 9 completely. Disposed within the cap 19 and held in position against the upper surface of the oil ring 9 is a packing 20, ofhair, felt, or other suitable material. Packing 20 is saturated with lubricating oil and is then clamped into position to the standard oil ring 9, clearly shown'in Figure 2 of the drawings, and when further lubricant is to be su plied, the cap 19 is removed and the pack.- ing is again saturated. Preferably the packing is arranged in a ring 21 that has an inwardly turned flange 22 to prevent the flow of the lubricant between cap 19 and the edge of oiling ring '9. In practice it is found than an ample supply of lubricant. will find its way over the edge of the oil ring 9, lubricating the ends 11 of the traveller 12 over lpng periods of time. The packing w'hen once saturated with oil, will supply ample lubricant for many months to the traveller and extends the life of the traveller for days of continuous operation. The inclined-surface 20 of the cap 19 cffectively prevents a contracting of kinks in the twisted threads in the lubricant and apure white silk may be spun without discoloration.

It will be seen that an oiling and protecting device for use with standard spinning arrangements is provided which permits spinning of light colored threads without discoloration by lubricant, increases the life of the traveller to a very marked degree, and reduces the amount of lubricant used, labor and cost of operation and maintenance substantially.

While my invention has been disclosed in connection with a form of spinner in which the traveller rotates in a horizontal plane, it will be understood that the invention is applicable to various forms of spinning arran ements and will be apparent to those skille in the art. Accordingly what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent and claimed as new is:

1. A lubricator for a spinning machine that includes a thread guide that is supported to rotate with its ends beneath a clined top surface, comprisinga hollow rin that has a flange to surround the edge 0 said supporting ring, and lubricant retaining packing arranged on said inclined top surface within said hollow ring.

2. A lubricator for a spinning machine that includes a thread guide that is supported to rotate with its ends beneath a supporting ring, comprising a hollow rin that has a flange to surround the edge 0 said supporting ring and a second flange to overlie the top surface of the supporting ring providing a restricted annular opening between the edge of said second flange and said top sur ace, and lubricant retaining means confined between said flanges.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 in which the lubricant retaining means includes a packing and an annular member having an lnwardly turned flange to prevent the flow of the lubrlcant between the edge of the supporting ring and low ring. 1

4. A lubricator for the ring-like support for the thread guide of aspinning machine comprising a shell. having walls arranged at an acute an 1e to each other designed to fit around an extend over said support, and a packing beneath'saidishell arranged in said angle andhoused thereby.'

5. A lubricator for the ring-like support for the thread guide of a spinnin machine comprising a shell designed to lit around and extend over saidsupport, an annular member nested within said shell and packthe flange of the holiing between said annular member and said shell and housed thereby.

6. A lubricator for the ring-like sup ort for the thread guide of a spinning mac ine comprising a shell designed to fit around and extend over said support, an annular member nested within said shell, said annular,

on a guide rail having an inclined top surface and an under surface designed to contact with the movable thread guide of a spinning machine, comprising an annular shell having means to readily secure it to said guide rail and walls arranged at an acute angle to each other to surround and house sa d ring-like support, and a lubricant receiving packing arranged in said angle in position to permit the gradual flow of lubricant down the inclined top surface of said support and to said under surface.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. I

GEORGE F. MACFARLANE. 

